And Then There Was Us
by Alex Beckett
Summary: Aurora is happy to be in Storybrooke, but also lonely. What happens when her life gets turned upside down in the most unexpected way?
1. One

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except for what I make up.**

* * *

><p>Aurora liked Storybrooke very much.<p>

It was a very cute little town, and one of the things she especially loved was that the local inn housed many of the people from the Enchanted Forest and the surrounding realms who had gotten caught in the second curse and brought to Storybrooke with no immediate place to live.

Aurora and her infant son were amongst these refugees, but she was thankful because she had been wanting to get to Stroybrooke for ages and now due to recent events back home, she was thankful to have a place to live at all.

An extra perk of living at the inn was that she'd met and befriended Ruby Lucas, who let her and the baby take the adjoining room next to her own.

Princess Aurora _loved_ Storybrooke, to be truthful, but it just wasn't the same without Prince Phillip at her side.

* * *

><p>Back in the Enchanted Forest, their castle had been attacked and destroyed by ogres in the middle of the night.<p>

There had been absolutely no time to call for aid, so it had been every person for themselves. Aurora fled with her family, but in all of the pandemonium, Aurora and Phillip were separated. She didn't find him until hours later, after the ogres had left altogether.

Unfortunately, Phillip passed away from his injuries not long after being discovered. The last thing he told her was to take their son and find Mulan.

* * *

><p>Aurora buried her love at sunrise and set out with what she could carry, and her baby boy for company.<p>

It was well after dark when the magical cloud appeared, rolling through the land and since Aurora knew better than to outrun it, so she just stood and let it take them.

When the darkness lifted, she and baby Phillip were in Storybrooke.

* * *

><p>Under the guidance of Ruby, mother and son began adjusting to life in the small seaside town. Ruby even helped Aurora make friends.<p>

Even after all that, Mulan's heart ached for the loss of the man she'd thought she was going to marry, and for the lack of presence of the only other person she could ever picture spending the rest of her life with.

Aurora had cried into Ruby's shoulder about it more than once.

* * *

><p>Little did Aurora know that Mulan had actually gotten swept up in the curse, too, but was tucked away in the woods and was living in August Booth's old home.<p>

She wasn't alone, though.

Unbeknownst to many, Mulan had a young daughter called Mei. The warrior didn't talk about Mei because she'd had been forced to leave her behind in their village, after her husband, General Li Shang, exposed her for impersonating a soldier and fighting in the war that had been plaguing their area.

Her punishment? Banishment.

Walking away from her daughter hurt, but it was a sacrifice because Mulan understood that the road before her was dangerous, and no place for a child.

Not until after staying with Robin Hood and his Merry Men did the warrior get the courage to go back to Mei because she missed her. A life in Aurora's castle, or with her and Phillip and their little baby—in any capacity—would be better than the lives they were currently living.

Mulan made it back to her village and collected Mei, but she still got caught by Shang. Being of old-fashioned values and of the knowledge that he and his wife were already in an loveless marriage that had been hastily arranged because they were from two different social classes, Shang punished Mulan for breaking the banishment and embarrassing his good name. He also kept a strict eye on her and Mei after that.

Mulan had never felt so ashamed in her life.

Several months of this had passed before the magical cloud appeared and swallowed them up.

* * *

><p>The cloud spat them out in the Storybrooke woods and normally, Mulan would've gone to explore her surroundings to see if they could get a bearing on them, but her punishment had caught up with her and it was exhausting her more than she'd like, so she and Mei didn't stray far from the grounds of their new home, living off the land.<p>

Fed up with her mother one evening, Mei wandered away to do some exploring of her own.

It came to no surprise that the four-year-old got lost.

* * *

><p>"Mama?" Mei was downright sobbing now as she walked in the gloom down a well-traveled hiking path. "Mama, where are you? I'm sorry; I'll be good!"<p>

Mei was cold, hungry, dirty, and tired.

"Is there anybody out there?"

No sooner had words left her mouth than she saw pair of large yellow eyes shining at her, directly ahead. They weren't human. Mei soon saw that they belonged to a large grey wolf, although she had no way of knowing that it was Ruby, out on a patrol because it was Wolf's Time.

Instinct told Mei to run because she'd always heard that wolves were dangerous, but something was different about this one—it stopped in front of her and bowed to her, showing submission.

Mei reached a hand out to the animal, giggling when Ruby licked it. Comfortable after that, Mei rand her hands through Ruby's fur.

"You're so warm, pretty wolf. Just like a blanket."

Mei's words ended in a yawn and she stumbled, but Ruby caught her and steadied her.

"I'm sleepy," Mei confessed around another yawn and hugged Ruby's neck. "And I lost my mama."

Ruby sat and actually managed to pull Mei close in a kind of hug with the leg she wasn't standing on. When Mei pulled away after a moment, she looked at Ruby with wide eyes.

"You understand me?"

Ruby bobbed her head in confirmation.

"Do you know someone who has food?"

Ruby bobbed her head again and got down on all fours.

"You're gonna take me?"

Ruby let out a soft woof this time, so Mei climbed onto her back and when she felt secure enough, Ruby stood and set off into town.

* * *

><p>Everybody in Storybrooke, even the new people, knew that Ruby was a werewolf, but even still, she entered the inn through the back way, where hers and Aurora's rooms were.<p>

* * *

><p>Now that baby Phillip was old enough to sit up on his own and be very aware of things happening around him, Aurora had started reading to him every day, especially before he went to bed for the night. His favorite story was <span>The Little Engine That Could.<span>

This was what Aurora was reading to him when she heard a soft scratching at the door.

"Oh, it looks like Ruby has come for a visit!" Aurora set the book aside—thankfully, because she was getting sick of it—and stood, setting Phillip on her hip. "Let's go let her in, hmm?"

Phillip actually shed a few tears, although Aurora knew he was faking it because he was upset that their nightly routine had been disrupted.

"Hush, baby boy. You know that story front to back, as it is."

Phillip's temper fizzled at his mother's tone and he leaned into her touch as she wiped his tears and kissed his cheek. Settled, Phillip didn't fuss any more as his mother let Ruby in.

Aurora wasn't surprised to see Ruby as a wolf, but she hadn't been expecting to see her carrying a child on her back, let alone one that was dirty, worn out, and sleepy. When Mei disembarked and stood on the floor, her legs gave out from exhaustion, so Ruby curled up behind her, acting as he'd support again.

Curious, Aurora got on her knees and spoke gently to her; there had to be an extra good reason that she'd been sought out instead of Regina, Emma, Snow, or Belle.

"I'm Aurora. What's your name?"

The little one yawned and looked up at her. "I'm called Mei, and I'm four."

When the two made eye contact, Aurora felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her because Mei was a spitting image of Mulan.

"Are you lost, Mei?"

Nod. "I got angry with mama, and then I lost her!"

"But Ruby found you." Aurora pointed out quickly. "She's very nice, isn't she?"

"Yeah, and she's real pretty, too."

"You should see what she's like in human form—she's just as pretty as she is now."

At the words 'human form,' Mei's eyes widened. "Ruby is a _werewolf?"_

"Uh-huh."

"Wow! That's really neat!"

Thankful for Mei's fascination with Ruby, Aurora used that as a segue. "Since she's a werewolf, that means she's really good at smelling things."

Mei turned beet red as she became aware of her appearance. "I'm stinky and smelly…"

"Don't worry, baby girl—I'll give you a bath in a minute. Just stay with me."

"Okay."

"Since Ruby is really good at smelling things, that means that if you have something of your mama's, she will be able to find her for you. Do you have anything of that sort?"

Mei thought about it for a minute and then undid a blue silk scarf around her neck. "This was mama's, but she gave it to me for good luck!"

"Why don't you give it to Ruby?"

Mei made her way over to the wolf and laid the scarf at her feet. "Please, Ruby: can you use this to find mama? She's in the woods, and I miss her!"

Ruby took the scarf in her paws and took a huge whiff, easily picking up on Mulan's trail, but to give her friend some reassurance, Ruby wagged her tail and touched her nose to her shoulder. Mei kissed Ruby's fur and then turned back to Aurora.

"Do you know my mama?"

Aurora nodded, ignoring the clench in her heart she felt as she thought of Mulan. "I know her very well. Your mama is very, very special to me."

"Mama makes your heart smile?"

"Oh, yes."

Mei grinned and then motioned towards Phillip. "Who's that?"

"That's Phillip. He's my baby boy."

Mei smiled fondly—she loved babies. She wanted to ask more questions about Phillip, but her stomach rumbled loudly and clutched her stomach.

"I'm so hungry..."

"It's okay. Hang on."

Aurora stood and quickly crossed the room, fetching the half of the pastrami sandwich that she'd saved from earlier in the day. When she gave it to Mei, she devoured it, ravenous. Aurora had been planning to use this as a stalling tactic so she could get to her phone on the table by the window, but Mei had parked herself squarely in her lap.

"Rora," Mei said when she finished her food. "When could I have a bath?"

"Very soon." Aurora stood Mei up so she could get to her own feet. "I just have to put Phillip in his bed, alright?"

Mei just nodded—she was fading fast—and watched as Aurora picked Phillip up from where he'd fallen asleep against Ruby and lay him down. Afterward, Mei barely made it through her bath before admitting to herself that it was time for bed.

"Rora," Mei used the pet name on her friend as they cuddled on Aurora's bed. "You said that Phillip is your baby boy?"

"Yes."

"Where's his papa? What's _his_ name?"

"His name was also Phillip, but he was called away to be an angel."

"Oh." Mei moved closer to Aurora and traced shapes on Aurora's stomach, thinking. "And your Phillip: he grew in there?"

"Indeed he did." Aurora stroked Mei's face, watching her. "Why are you asking these things?"

"I don't have a papa 'cause I think we lost him, but my mama has a baby in her tummy."

Aurora's own stomach did a flip-flop at this and she was aghast, wanting more than ever to get Emma on the line.

"She does?"

Mei nodded. "I hope it's a girl so that way, Phillip could be her friend and protect her since nobody protected us."

Aurora realized that Mei must have seen something she shouldn't have and hugged her closer, not wanting to leave her now.

"Where's Ruby?" Mei asked suddenly. "I want my puppy…"

Ruby hadn't left the room yet, having curled up by Phillip's crib, but when she heard her name, she picked up the scarf Mei had given her and sat, watching the bed and wagging her tail, hopeful for an invitation.

Aurora beckoned to her and Ruby immediately climbed up, claiming a spot at Mei's feet.

"Ruby's here now, baby. Can you feel her?"

"Uh-huh."

The amount of body heat that Ruby was generating was lulling Mei straight to sleep.

Aurora turned out the lamp on her bedside table and pulled Mei closer, deciding to turn in for the night. "Ruby and I are both here with you."

"What about mama?"

"Ruby and I will work on finding her in the morning. Our friends will help, too."

"Thanks, Rora."

"You're welcome."

"Good night…"

That was the last Aurora heard out of Mei until morning. Ruby was asleep soon, too.

It took Aurora awhile to fall asleep, although that was because she had one thought, and one thought only: her beloved Mulan was in the woods, alone and pregnant.

* * *

><p><strong>More?<strong>


	2. Two

**I was watching Mulan as I wrote this, completely unintentional U^_^**

* * *

><p>In the morning, Aurora woke early to nurse Phillip since he was an early riser, like she was.<p>

As she sat on the rocking chair in the corner with him, listening to the sounds of the other inn occupants rising for the day, the princess wondered about Mulan and how she was.

Aurora was also hung up on the fact that Mulan was pregnant. Just who was her baby's father? Were he and Mulan together? Or married? Everybody knew that Mulan was a private person, but still—surely she would have said _something_ about a husband and child.

"I really hope we can find Mulan today." Aurora confided in her son as he finished and she made herself decent before she began the process of burping him. "I imagine that she's more than a little scared, and that she just wants to be with Mei. I know her, Phillip, and I know that she'll do anything to find who she loves… that is, if she's well…"

Phillip's only response was to let out a large healthy burp. Just as Aurora finished cleaning him up, she noticed that Mei was waking up and stretching out in the bed.

"Good morning, little bird." Aurora greeted Mei as she sat with her. "Did you sleep well?"

Mei let out a huge yawn and nodded, as she rested her cheek on Aurora's bust, using it as a pillow. Aurora could tell that even though Mei was accustomed to waking up early, she wasn't a morning person.

"Yes, Rora." Mei let out a yawn and looked around. "Where's Phillip?"

"He's here, cuddling." Aurora laughed and touched her cheek to the top of Mei's head. "Look."

Mei looked to where Aurora was pointing to see that Phillip was also leaning against the princess. Phillip was watching Mei fastidiously, and when she smiled at him, he burst into giggles.

"Phillip likes you." Aurora mused, hugging both of the children close. "It's not often someone he's just met makes him laugh like that."

Mei puffed up her chest in pride, and she looked around to see what Ruby would make of it, but then she noticed for the first time that she wasn't there.

"Where is Ruby?"

"Well, seeing as the sun is up, she's probably back in her human form now." Aurora said thoughtfully. "I think she went to change her clothes."

Mei's bottom lip trembled. "But what about finding mama?"

"We'll get to that, little bird, so don't worry. When Ruby gets here, we'll get some food and then we'll ask our friends to help you find your mother."

"Really?"

"Really." Aurora gave her an extra cuddle. "Ruby will be here soon."

Her words were still hanging in the air when there was a knock at the door.

"It's open!" Aurora called out.

Ruby entered, wearing jeans and red hoodie that was halfway zipped over a white t-shirt. Plain black flats where on her feet, and she wore a black fedora on her head. Aurora noticed it wasn't up to Ruby's usual wardrobe standards, but she didn't say anything about it.

"R-Ruby?"

Mei's words came out in a stutter as she realized that Aurora had been spot on when she'd said that Ruby was just as beautiful in human form as she was in her other form. To Aurora, it looked like Mei had just been lovestruck for the first time ever.

"You're my puppy from last night?"

"Mhm," Ruby sat next to her, laughed when Mei scrambled into her lap very quickly. "And you know what? I noticed that you needed new things to wear, so this is for you."

Ruby had been carrying a wicker basket on one arm, but she quickly put it in Mei's lap.

"Go ahead and open it."

Mei lifted back the flap of the basket and squealed in delight—and in a decibel that should have been unachievable so early in the morning—as she pulled out a new dress, a new pair of leggings, matching boots, and a warm wool poncho. The weather was getting cooler, and these things were perfect, especially since they were all in her size. There were even mittens, a hat, and a scarf to complete the look.

Ruby happly helped Mei get dressed, and even did her hair for her.

"Where did you get those things?" Aurora asked the woman in red as Mei flounced off to check out her own reflection in the closet mirror. "I didn't think any of the shops were open yet."

"Some are, some aren't."

Ruby stood and held her arms out for Phillip.

"Is the baby ready for the day?"

"Yes. Why?" Aurora was taken aback by the sudden change in subject, but still handed her son over. "What are you thinking?"

"That I don't work today, so I can help you out for this adventure. I'll take the kids to the diner while you get ready for the day."

Aurora smiled gratefully at Ruby; the older girl was the sister Aurora had always wanted but had never gotten as a child.

"Thanks, Ruby. I'll see you all in awhile."

* * *

><p>When Aurora finally made it to the diner, she found the others in a booth adjacent to the washrooms, just in case. Phillip was perched in Ruby's lap, absorbed in maintaining his grip on the bits of chopped peach on the saucer in front of him. He was a sucker for peaches and was happily stuffing his face now. Ruby and Mei were happily sharing a stack of waffles together, and Mei was even laughing as she tasted maple syrup for the first time. The whole scene was picturesque, so Aurora joined them, soon ordering her usual bowl of yogurt, fruit, and granola.<p>

After everyone was done and clean, Ruby checked the time: eight-ten.

"You know," she said to Aurora as returned Phillip to her and scooped Mei off the floor and sitting her on her hip. "Emma should be in her office now. David, too."

Aurora's heart leapt; getting to Emma meant being one step closer to Mulan. "Then let's go."

Mei patted Ruby on the shoulder to get her attention as they left the diner and headed out to the main avenue. "Ruby, I have a question for you."

"And what's that, my sweet Mei?"

"Did you say the names David and Emma?"

"I did."

Mei perked up. "My mama is friends with Emma, and she told me that David is Emma's papa. Is David nice to Emma?"

Ruby's heart broke to hear a question like that from one so small about people she so dearly loved, but she still answered the inquiry.

"David is nice to Emma because he loves her very much."

Mei grinned, pleased by this answer. "I have another question."

"Oh?"

"Is mama's friend Belle around here? Mama said Belle is a very good tracker and that that makes her very honu— honna—"

The little one pouted when she couldn't get the word right.

"Mei, are you trying to say the word honorable?"

"Yes!"

"Well, you're in luck: Belle _does_ live here, so someone will make sure she comes to help."

Delighted by this, Mei gave Ruby a peck on the cheek and let her thoughts drift to something else.

* * *

><p>"Hey, guys." Emma greeted Ruby and Aurora warmly when she saw them come into the office. "Who's your pint-sized hitchhiker?"<p>

"Emma, this is Mei." explained Ruby as she caressed the little girl's back when she suddenly got shy. "I found her last night, wandering through the woods, on one of the hiking paths."

Emma raised her eyebrows, knowing that Ruby hadn't been quite herself last night. "You _found_ her?"

Ruby nodded. "She told me she was very lost, but she was also frightened, tired, hungry, dirty, and cold. It wasn't like I could just _leave_ her there, so I got her to get on my back, and I brought her to Aurora."

The sheriff-princess turned to the girl in purple for confirmation.

"Ruby did bring Mei to me," Aurora said with a nod. "And we looked after her since it was too late to call you."

Emma couldn't argue against that logic, so she approached Mei, who had been watching her this whole time from the safety of Ruby's arms.

"Hey, there."

Emma held a hand out, just to see what Mei would do. She was given a high five and when Mei kept her hand in hers, she took it as a sign of interest and trust.

"It's really nice to meet you, Mei."

The dark-haired child actually cracked a smile. "You're Emma?"

"That's right."

Mei held her arms out, wanting to see her up close. When Emma took her, she noticed that Mei was lighter than she should have been for a four-year-old child.

"Where are your parents?"

"I don't think my papa came with us to this land. That's good, though."

Fascinated by this child, Emma sat on the edge of the nearest desk with her. "Tell me why that's a good thing."

"Because he was mean and made mama cry all the time. Sometimes he hit her."

Mei's words, delivered with brute honesty, broke everyone's hearts.

"I'm so sorry, Mei." Emma reached out and stroked the little girl's face affectionately. "I'm _so_ sorry."

"He shouldn't have done that."

"You're completely right." Emma agreed. "He really shouldn't have done that."

Wanting to get the conversation going in a proper direction, Aurora spoke pointedly to her little friend. "Mei, why don't you tell Emma who your mother is? It's a good time to do that."

"My mama is Mulan, and she said once that you and your mama are friends with her."

"That's very true." Emma nodded as she recalled their adventures with the warrior.

"Mama is also friends with Belle. Do you know where she is?"

Emma nodded and just as she made to reach for her phone, a new person entered the room: David.

"Emma, I—hi, everyone."

David was very surprised to see all the new people because it had been just him and his daughter when he'd left for the bakery a little bit ago. As a nice gesture, and as a way to break the awkward silence that had just popped up, he held open the paper bag he was carrying.

"Bagels, anyone?"

Aurora politely turned him down, and so did Ruby, but she seemed slightly off, like she was having an aversion to the smell of the warm baked treat.

"You alright, Red?" the prince asked of the woman he'd always regarded as a little sister.

Ruby most certainly was not, but she wasn't ready to talk about it. David believed her when she made up a passing excuse and used the phrase 'Wolf's Time,' in it, and Emma wasn't even paying attention because she was now at her desk with Mei in her lap, showing her how to spread cream cheese on a bagel. Aurora immediately suspected what Ruby was hiding but said nothing of it, instead moving towards David, quickly filling him in on the situation.

"Then where is Mei's mother?" He asked when she was finished. "She has to be around here somewhere."

"Mei's mother is Mulan the warrior."

"I beg your pardon?" The prince had heard many stories of the warrior, but from all of those, he never would've pegged her as the motherly type. "Mulan is here?"

Aurora nodded. "Yes, and apparently, she's out in the woods."

"And Ruby brought her to you?"

Aurora gave another nod. "Yes, but more to the point: how many trackers do you know besides Ruby?"

"Snow and Belle, for sure." The prince answered immediately. "Robin Hood can help, too. I'll contact them."

"Good." Aurora sat in the nearest chair with Phillip. "I will be happy to look after baby Neal if need be, but please impress upon whomever you recruit that speed is of the essence, because according to Mei, Mulan is pregnant."

David was on his phone in no time after that, and Ruby was dashing out the door, calling over her shoulder that she was going to go collect Belle.

All Aurora could do was wait.

Hang in there, Mulan, she thought. Help is coming.


	3. Three

**Note to AmazingGracieGurl: thanks for your enthusiasm, love! Perhaps you should follow story so you can read the updates sooner so you don't have to sit around and wonder if it's been updated :P just a suggestion ;) xo**

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later saw Ruby leading Emma, her parents, Elsa, Killian, Regina, Robin Hood, and Will Scarlett into the woods to look for Mulan while Aurora stayed behind to look after Phillip, Mei, and baby Neal. Roland was off with Little John, having an adventure somewhere.<p>

Thanks to the scarf Mei had lent her, it didn't take Ruby long to pick up on the scent of the lost warrior. However, after ten minutes of leading everyone in the right direction, Ruby was forced to come to a screeching halt when she was overcome with a sudden sneezing fit.

"I'm—_ACHOO!_ s-sorry, you guys. _ACHOO! _I'm really allergic to fl-flowers! _ACHOO! _Just a se—_ACHOO! _second!"

Way to Ruby's right stood huge bushes of honeysuckle, whose lovely scent was being carried downwind by the slight breeze. The others each liked the smell, but seeing Ruby's discomfort, Snow quickly took her out of the breeze's jet stream, slightly out of earshot of the others, and sat with her on a fallen hollow log while she cleared her head.

"Ruby," Snow said after a few moments. "I've known about your flower allergy for as long as I've known you, but the flowers that set off your sneezing fit were at least six feet away. That's bit much, even for you with your normally-heightened senses, isn't it?"

Ruby bit her lip, weighing her options. The woman sitting next to her knew all of her secrets—even who she currently shared a bed with on most nights now—and even after all of these years, their bond remained like sisterhood.

But this… this was brand new, and she still hadn't let herself think about it.

"I—"

Ruby started to answer Snow, but David came jogging up just then, looking completely excited about something. He was also completely oblivious to the fact that he'd just interrupted the two.

"What is it?" Ruby asked as she and Snow got to their feet.

"Belle's just seen August Booth's old trailer which has been abandoned since he got turned back into a little boy and went to live with Marco. She says it looks lived in, but there's nobody in the surrounding area, which leads us to think that that was where you were leading us before you had your sneezing fit."

Beside Ruby, Snow furrowed her eyebrows as she thought through all of her husband's words. "I've been there before, and this was not the way!"

Ruby put a hand on her friend's arm. "They probably just found an alternate way, Snow. These woods do go on and on."

"That's true," Snow had been distracted by wondering about Ruby to consider that option. "But what about all those flowers?"

"Regina incinerated them." David sighed in a dejected tone; having spent much of his life outside, he hated to see plants get snuffed out.

"Well, at least isn't incapable of showing that she cares now." Ruby remarked as she tilted her head to the side, listening for something unseen. "Everyone getting antsy—let's go back."

That was all she said before leaving her friends in the dust.

Ruby caught up to Emma, Elsa, and the others, with the Charmings not to far behind her.

"Are you okay now, Ruby?" Regina asked in genuine concern.

"Yes, thank you."

Meanwhile, Elsa was feeling a tad confused. "Why are we all just standing here? Is this Mulan dangerous?"

"Not in the least." Belle shook her head as she gazed ahead at the trailer, standing about fifteen feet away. "I'm sure Mulan is in there and quite frightened by now, so it's understandable that she'd be even more alarmed if we all went inside at once."

"She's also pregnant," Regina reminded them. "So the sooner we think of a plan, the better!"

"Not helping, your majesty." Killian said in a warning tone.

Robin quickly stood between the two before they could start fighting like spoiled five-year-olds. "Ruby shall come with us to fetch Mulan, but who else here has the good warrior's trust? Tell me with a show of hands."

Robin raised his own hands, but so did Belle, Emma, Snow, and surprisingly, Will Scarlett.

Robin was the chief leader in giving his former Merry Man a 'judging you' expression, but it was he who broke the awkward silence.

"Go on—explain yourself."

"Right: about seven months ago—I think—our paths crossed on the road, way out in the middle of nowhere. She was cold and hungry, so I gave her some clean clothes, shared some of my food with her, and invited her to stay the night by the campfire. She was gone before I woke up."

"Did she tell you where she was going, or where she'd just come from?"

"Something about having left you and the boys to head back to her village so she could collect her little girl before she set off on expedition to look for her true loves. Mulan was frightfully worried that her husband would catch her because she'd already done something bad years ago that got her banished for life."

_"Banished?" _Belle echoed, making everyone jump; it was the first time she'd spoken in awhile. "That means she was _already_ serving out that punishment around the time I met her! What did she _do?"_

"And she's _married?" _Emma cried. "She never mentioned _that_ when _we_ met her!"

Will held his arms out in surrender. "Don't shoot the messenger, please. Mulan was mostly worried about her husband's temper because because he likes to use her as a punching bag when he's angry."

"Why in the world wouldn't you have said any of this before now?" Robin demanded.

"I've only just remembered all of this, Robin, but I _do_ want to find her as badly as the rest of you. Now shall we get a move on, or do you want to stand there and yammer at me a little more?"

Knowing that Regina, Emma, and Emma's parents would give him hell for even clocking Will one good one right in the snogger, the man in green exercised a great deal of self-restraint and stepped back, turning to Ruby.

"I'm ready when you are."

Ruby quickly chose Robin, Will, Belle, Emma, and Snow to be in the rescue party and finally led them towards the trailer.

* * *

><p>"Mulan?" Belle called out as they entered the trailer. "It's Belle, and few other people!"<p>

Mulan was in the back room, curled up on the bed. She could hear them, but the combination of being worried sick about Mei, and having a gestating baby that was taking all of the nourishment going into her weary body had really sapped her of her usual energy, but she still managed to pick up a book from her nightstand and throw it towards the open door, hoping it would be enough to get their attention.

Mulan was genuinely surprised to see Robin Hood and Will Scarlett, of all people, respond first, and although the registered that it was them, her primal instincts took over and she curled up in a ball, to the best of her ability, protecting herself. Of course she knew that neither of them would ever lay a hand to her, but the last man she'd interacted with had beaten her something awful, paying no heed to her expectant condition.

"Go!" Mulan gave a dry sob, swatting blindly at the thieves. _"Leave!"_

Distressed, Robin and Will exited quickly, soon to be replaced by Belle, Emma, and Snow. It took a little bit coaxing, but the trio of princesses got the warrior to sit up, and when they saw the massive size of her belly, they realized that Will's estimate of seven months had been right.

Snow felt her heart break when she took in the sight of Mulan's undernourished body and all of the various injuries. They were all in different stages of healing, but if Snow had to hazard a guess based on the healing progression, she would've said that Mulan had been beaten just before (or as) the second curse happened.

"Snow?" Mulan croaked as Emma and Belle sat with her, propping her up. "Have you seen a little girl that bears resemblance to me?"

"Mei? She's safe, Mulan." Snow grinned. "My friend, Ruby—Emma's godmother—found her last night, and put her into the care of someone we all know."

"Who?"

"Aurora."

Mulan's heart leapt and she wanted to cry, but forced herself not to. "Aurora is nearby?"

"Uh-huh. She and Mei really can't wait to see you."

"Mulan," Belle gave her friend a back rub. "Do you think you can walk?"

"I don't know." She admitted.

"That's okay." The librarian cooed. "We will help you."

As it turned out, Mulan couldn't stand on her own, and she finally gave in to her exhaustion, fainting clean away in Emma's arms.

* * *

><p>Once they were outside and everybody saw what kind of shape Mulan was in, they gathered around Regina, and she poofed them all to the hospital, whereupon they all made a dash for the ER area.<p>

That was, everyone but Ruby.

While she'd been waiting outside the trailer with Robin and Will for everyone else to come out, she'd gone for a short walk to do some thinking about the secret she was currently sitting on. During that time, she'd lost her footing on some leaves, wet from the previous night's rain, and ending up taking an unexpected mudslide. Luckily, Robin and Will went chasing after her, soon catching her and standing her up before she could go any further.

That was all good and well, but now, Ruby was paying the price for her hesitation and silence.

Still sore from her spill in the woods, Ruby eased herself into the nearest empty wheelchair, wincing as her body suddenly starting processing a little more pain than it should have been.

Please, no, she thought desperately as felt the distinct feeling of blood trickle between her legs. Don't betray me, body. Please, no.

"I need help."

Ruby's words had been a mumble and so quiet, that they were almost inaudible to everyone around her.

One person heard her, though.

"Red?"

Blue, as was her way, had popped up out of seemingly nowhere, and came hurrying over to the waitress, kneeling down in front of her. When she saw Ruby wiping furiously at newly-formed tears in her eyes as she clamped her free hand tightly over her middle, Blue immediately held both of her hands next to Ruby's one, channeling healing energy into it as she tried again.

"Child, what is going on?"

And so the words tumbled from Ruby's mouth. "I think I'm having a miscarriage."


	4. Four

**Sorry it's taken so long to update: real life gets in the way, sometimes!**

* * *

><p>Blue looked at her young friend in horror and channeled even more healing magic into Ruby's body before turning to call for help. Seeing as they were in a hospital, the help came quickly.<p>

"Wait, Blue!" Ruby called to her as the fairy left, seeing that the werewolf was in good hands.

"Yes, child?" Blue came back to Ruby. "What is it?"

Ruby caught Blue's hand in hers. "Will you stay? Please?"

Blue didn't have the willpower to say no, so she smiled comfortingly at the young woman. "Of course I will."

Ruby breathed a sigh of relief and sat back in her wheelchair, allowing the nurses to take her the rest of the way. Blue followed beside them.

Sure, Ruby's worry about the life of her little one hadn't lifted—nor had her concern over what the father was going to say because he didn't even know—but at least Blue was with her.

Ruby also wondered how Mulan was.

* * *

><p>Another ward over, the warrior was just coming to, and Aurora and Mei were sitting on the bed with her, watching her with bated breath. If it hadn't been for them and that she was in an incredibly weakened state, she would have really freaked out at the unfamiliar, sterile environment.<p>

Princess Aurora was just simply at a loss for words and on the verge of happy tears, but Mei maneuvered her way our of her caregiver's lap and crawled over to her mother, and showered her with hugs and kisses, mindful of her frail state and all of the monitors she was hooked up to.

Mother and daughter were in a world of their own for a moment, conversing in a language Aurora couldn't understand. It was clear those two had been through hell and back together, and the depth of their bond made Aurora melt.

Naturally, she jumped when Mulan reached for her hand. Aurora scooted closer and took it, pretending not to notice how their fingers naturally intertwined. She definitely noticed how her heart rate increased rapidly when Mulan kissed her hand in a very affectionate way, conveying her thanks for everything. Mulan was never this affectionate, except for who she deeply loved. Aurora quickly came to the conclusion that it was the pregnancy that was messing with her usual behavior.

When she asked for water, Aurora helped her to drink it, and even when she'd had her fill, she still didn't let go of Aurora's hand; being this close was all she'd ever wanted. But then again, the same went for Aurora.

"Was it you who found Mei?" The warrior asked.

"One of my friends did, actually. I looked after for the night."

"Mama," Mei said suddenly to her mother. "I get why you like Rora so much."

"Enlighten me, little one."

"Because she's warm, really nice, _way_ beautiful, and _so_ easy to love!"

Mulan blushed spectacularly while Aurora laughed at Mei's no-filter mouth.

"I won't deny any of that, Mei: it's all true." Mulan pulled her daughter close with her free hand and gave her a gentle kiss. "Lay with me."

"Yes, mama."

When Mei was cuddled up with her precious mother, Aurora asked, "Do you really think that of me?"

Mulan gave a nod, and if it was possible, she turned an even brighter shade of red. "Always."

Aurora wanted to ask more questions, but there was a knock on their closed door, so she got up and opened it to reveal Doctor Whale. He said hello to her and got down to business as he approached the bed.

"I'm so glad to see you're awake, Mulan. Do you know where you are?"

"Storybrooke?" She guessed hopefully.

"Yes."

Mulan breathed a visible sigh of relief. "And you must be Doctor Whale, from The Land Without Color?"

Doctor Whale was impressed. "How did you know that?"

Aurora interrupted, clearing her throat in a pointed manner. "Perhaps we can skip the pleasantries and check on the baby now?"

"Right." Doctor Whale schooled himself. "Good idea."

Feeling apprehensive now, Mulan looked to Aurora. "Will it hurt?"

Honestly, Aurora didn't know because she hadn't given birth in this land, much less ever seen a proper hospital before coming to Storybrooke, but because Mulan was depending on her, she stroked her friend's fingers with her thumb.

"If it does," Aurora said as she sat in a chair next to the bed. "Just remember that I'm right beside you. I won't go anywhere as long as you want me here."

Mulan felt this answer to be satisfactory and because she wasn't entirely with the program yet, she simply watched as the doctor performed the ultrasound and patiently explained how everything worked.

When he got to the part where he was going to locate the heartbeat, he hesitated. "Hmm… wasn't expecting to see that…"

"See what?" Aurora demanded hotly before Mulan could get a word in edgewise. "Don't just leave us hanging!"

Doctor Whale had a look of pure stunned amusement on his face. "The machine is picking up two heartbeats."

"Excuse me?" Mulan said faintly._ "Twins?"_

Mei chose this moment to ask what that word meant, and when Aurora explained it, it became too much for Mei to wrap her mind around, and she actually passed clean out in Aurora's lap.

Upon Doctor Whale's advice, Aurora laid Mei on the cot by the window so she could sleep it off, and so they could get through the rest of the time without interruption.

"Might we hear the heartbeats now?" Aurora asked.

"Most certainly."

Doctor Whale kept the ultrasound wand trained atop Mulan's bare belly as he flicked a switch on the monitor. The sounds of the babies' heartbeats filled the room quickly.

"How's that? Two very strong and healthy heartbeats."

Both Mulan and Aurora were filled with such rushes of joy that they were speechless for a minute, Aurora because one of her fantasies was true by the second, and Mulan not because she was in a new land experiencing new things, but more because she was wishing with every fiber of her being that she wasn't carrying any sons.

Mulan had gotten lucky the first time around when Mei was born a girl, and then again when her daughter grew to be her own spitting image.

It was awful of Mulan to think, especially considering society and culture she'd been brought up in, but she didn't think she'd be able to handle it if she ever bore any sons for Shang, not after everything he'd done to her.

"Would you like to know what you're having?" Whale asked gently.

Mulan looked at him, eyes wide. "I've heard many tales about you, but none they suggested you to be a mind reader!"

"A mind reader, I am not, madam. I was just wondering if you'd like to know."

From her chair next to Mulan's bed, Aurora was deeply impressed. "That sort of thing is possible in this land?"

"That, and so much more."

Mulan looked to Aurora. "Would _you_ like to know?"

Aurora was touched that Mulan wanted her opinion, so she gave Whale the final word. "Yes. We would like to know."

"Aright then." The man in the lab coat turned his attention back towards the screen. "Let's check everything out."

After a few minutes of gently prodding Mulan's babies to get them to turn the way he wanted to, Whale turned back to the mothers with a grin on his face.

"Congratulations: there are two healthy baby girls in there."

Mulan burst into tears of joy and relief because her wish had come true. It was almost a little too much for her system, though, so Doctor Whale wrapped the session up, showing Aurora how to clean the ultrasound gel off Mulan's bump since the warrior was too tired to do it herself.

"Mulan," Whale addressed the pregnant woman when he was done putting everything away. "Because of the state that you and your babies were found in, I would like to keep you here until you're healthy again."

"That sounds reasonable to me. Am I allowed visitors?"

"Just one for now." was the response as Whale double checked all of Mulan's wires and monitors, and did a slight adjustment on the oxygen flowing through her nasal tube. "Choose wisely."

"I will."

Doctor Whale thanked her for her cooperation and showed himself out.

Daughters, Mulan thought giddily. I'm getting more daughters. Mei and Phillip will be big siblings.

Wait…

Mulan winced at her gaffe and when she looked to her princess to see if she noticed, she saw Aurora lost in thought, still wiping at the area of the bump where the ultrasound gel had been. The spot was clean and smooth now, but at this rate, the babies were well aware of Aurora, so they were now kicking and rolling their limbs in response to her touches.

"Aurora?" Mulan sat up and fixed her hospital gown over her bump and touched Aurora's hand. "I think it's clean now."

Aurora quickly chucked the paper towels into a nearby trash bin. "My apologies."

Mulan watched her as she sat back down on the bed. "Are you alright?"

Aurora had been looking solemn, but at this, she smiled and laughed. "You're the one whose been hurt and is carrying precious, wiggly cargo, yet you're checking on _my_ well-being?"

"Of course." Mulan returned the smile. "I care about you, and I always will, no matter my physical condition. I care about you, and I always will. What's troubling you?"

Aurora let out a shaky breath. "When you were inquiring about visitors, you were thinking about Phillip, weren't you?"

"Indeed I was."

"He can't come."

Mulan was taken aback. "Why not?"

Aurora let out a shaky breath. "Mulan, the ogres leveled my castle completely in the Enchanted Forest. Phillip died saving us."

Mulan's heart plummeted and she hugged Aurora. "I am so sorry."

"Thank you."

When they pulled apart, Mulan put a hand to Aurora'a trim stomach. "The last time I saw you, there was a baby in there."

"Would you like to meet him?"

Mulan lit up. "You have a baby boy? Where is he?"

"I named him after Phillip, and at the moment, he is in Belle's care."

"Belle is in Storybrooke?"

Aurora nodded. "Shall I send for her so you can see her and Phillip?"

"Yes, please."

* * *

><p>Belle was delighted to have a reunion with the girl she so deeply admired, but she hid her heartbreak at the sight of how beat up and bruised the younger woman was. That being said, she admired Mulan's fighting spirit more than she ever had before. She had seen something recently, experienced something awful. And yet, she'd survived for the sake of her family.<p>

Belle didn't overstay her visit, but she was sure to wish Mulan her congratulations when they informed her about the twins and promised to come back again when Mulan was more up to par. Phillip was disappointed upon Belle's departure, but when Aurora pointed out Mulan's presence.

Phillip immediately had eyes for her, and only her.

"Aurora, he's perfect!" Mulan said after a moment of playing with Phillip.

The brunette beamed at the compliment and then kissed Phillip on the cheek. "Hear that, my little prince? Mulan likes you already!"

Phillip just let out a delighted squeal, babbling and clapping his hands. Although only seven months old, he had remarkable strength, and he proved himself by using his mother's hands as leverage to stand himself up on his tiny, wobbly legs and leaned towards Mulan.

The warrior looked to the warrior for permission. "May I?"

"So long as you promise me that you'll work on getting some food into your body afterwards."

Mulan wrinkled her nose: by 'food,' Aurora meant the pudding a nurse had brought by earlier. She just didn't understand how the sweet substance constituted as food.

Realizing that Aurora was awaiting an answer and quite unafraid to use the 'I'm older than you' card, Mulan caved. "Alright, alright: I promise."

"Good answer." Aurora chirped, handing her son over. "Here you go."

Mulan and Phillip bonded immediately, and the baby turned to mush when Mulan cuddled with him and gave him kisses. Phillip dissolved into giggles when he felt Mulan's top twin kick him, and after that, he couldn't get enough of the bump, so he sat, prodding it gently because he'd never seen anything like it before.

Mei slept through whole thing.

"Aurora," Mulan tore her eyes away from Phillip. "You said it was your friend Ruby who found Mei?"

"Uh-huh."

"Where is she?"

"I… don't know, actually. She was among those who went to look for you because she's an excellent tracker, but I haven't seen her since."

"I'd like to meet her and say thank you."

"You two will be good friends, and she's like family to Phillip and myself. I'm sure she'll turn up soon."


	5. Five

Ruby woke with a start, immediately remembering finding Mulan, and the beginnings of her miscarriage.

Her miscarriage.

Oh, _no._

"Easy, Ruby." A strong pair of hands pushed her back down in a gentle but forceful way. "Take it easy."

Ruby realized that it was Granny who was talking to her, and she automatically relaxed and let her help her take a sip of water. Even still, Ruby felt confused. "Granny, what are you doing here?"

"Blue called me and told me what happened."

Ruby already felt like she was walking on eggshells because she kept expecting Granny to get mad at her for having sex without protection and consequently getting pregnant.

"Where is Blue?"

"Out in the hallway, sitting in a chair and using magical knitting needles to make a baby blanket.

Ruby furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "She's knitting a baby blanket?"

"Mhm." Granny confirmed. "She says she won't leave until she can see you."

"So I didn't lose my baby if she's making it a blanket?"

"That's correct. The doctors told me if it hadn't been for you arriving when you did and Blue channeling so much healing energy into your body, the baby would've died."

Ruby began to cry tears of relief and looked down at her middle. She wasn't showing yet, but her skin in that area was already firm, protecting the precious cargo inside.

"Hi, baby." She slipped a hand under her hospital gown, wanting to feel her stomach. "Mommy loves you so much."

When Ruby looked up, she saw Granny watching her fondly.

"Why aren't you mad at me?" The younger woman asked.

"Because I raised you and I love you, Ruby." Granny smiled kindly at her. "I love babies, too, and I couldn't be more excited for yours. Everything will be okay.

Ruby smiled radiantly, extra thankful that Granny hadn't asked who the baby's father was. "Will you send Blue in? I really want to see her."

"Okay." Granny stood and had her hand on the door handle before turning back to her granddaughter. "I'll be a phone call away at the diner. And Ruby?"

"Yes, Granny?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Less than a minute later, Blue strolled in, the magic knitting needles floating in midair beside her, working on the baby blanket. It kept changing color by itself, like it couldn't decide what color to be.

"Blue," Ruby breathed as her friend sat with her on the bed. "Thank you for saving my baby. Thank you."

"You're very welcome, child." Blue hugged for a moment before pulling away and giving Ruby's hand a gentle squeeze. "I made a connection with your little one earlier."

The werewolf perked up. "Did you?"

Blue nodded. "The baby is actually very nice and has a deep affinity for you… and its father."

"So you've already figured it out?"

"Indeed I have, and I will not judge you, I promise."

Ruby thanked her again and Blue gave another nod, motioning to Ruby's middle. "May I?"

Ruby nodded and felt her insides tingle with warmth as Blue poured magic and affection into her body. After a moment, Blue perked up, too.

"The baby just revealed itself to me."

"You mean like its gender?"

"Precisely. Would you like to know?"

"Yes, please."

"It's a little girl."

Beside Blue, the blanket finally settled on a light purple color, but Ruby didn't even notice because she was more focused on the fact that she was growing a little girl in her belly; she'd always wanted a daughter.

"Is she healthy?"

"Oh, very."

Seeing that the baby blanket was done, Blue used magic to make the knitting needles vanish and then guided the blanket to Ruby.

"This for the baby."

"Blue, thank you!"

"You are quite welcome, Red, and I must say: if you'd accept, I would love to be your child's fairy godmother."

Knowing an offer from like this from a fairy was exceedingly rare, the girl with the red streak in her hair nodded.

"Of course!"

The two friends hugged again, and as Blue got ready to go, Ruby asked her another question she'd been pondering since she woke up.

"My daughter—is she like me?"

Blue nodded. "She is, but she is very sweet and lovely. You needn't worry about anything from her."

An intense amount of relief surged through Ruby's body and she waved goodbye to Blue. A few minutes later, Doctor Whale hurried in, shutting the door and blinds before turning to face Ruby. He looked surprised and relieved at the same time, and when they locked eyes, he all but ran to the bed and kissed her full on the lips. Delighted, Ruby kissed her love back, pulling him in close by his collar.

She loved this man so very much and had for decades now. If he asked, she would marry him in a heartbeat because she knew he loved her just the same.

"Ruby," he sat next to her and caressed her face because he just wanted to make sure she was really there. "I just found out you were admitted for a _miscarriage?"_

"It started just after I got back from helping find Mulan because I slipped in mud. Blue used magic and medicine did the rest, but the baby is okay—a fighter."

Whale touched a hand to Ruby's middle, marveling over its tautness. "Our little one is in there? We made a baby?"

Ruby found Whale's childlike awe heartwarming, so she held Whale's hand in place as she smiled at her boyfriend. "Yeah, Victor, we did, and she's happy and healthy."

"She?" Whale echoed. "How do you know?"

"Blue told me." Ruby handed him the blanket. "She made this for the baby, and offered to be her fairy godmother."

"And what did you say?"

"Yes, of course."

Whale gave her one last kiss before standing up. "Shall we check on our baby princess now?"

Ruby nodded eagerly. "Yes, let's!"

The baby was quite healthy, just as Blue had said, and for being eight weeks into development, her heartbeat was right on target.

"Rubes," Whale said as they wrapped the examination up and he started putting his medical equipment away. "When did you find out about the baby?"

"Somewhere around two weeks ago. Everything that's happened since, especially with Marion and Elsa showing up, has kind of distracted me."

"Why didn't you tell me that you suspected a pregnancy?"

"Because I didn't know if you'd want her… or even a family."

"Oh, Ruby." Whale held her hand. "I want all of that with you. Shoot—I want to marry you, and I would do it today, if that's what you really wanted."

Ruby's heart was doing jumping jacks at this point. "I want to marry you, too, and have a happy life and as many beautiful babies with you as our hearts can handle…"

"But…?"

"When you do ask me to be Missus Doctor Whale, I would like to be healthier, and in any other place than here. That okay with you, lover boy?"

Whale just laughed in relief; only for a second, he'd wondered if she was going to reject him.

"Absolutely."

Ruby smiled, although vacantly, as she rubbed his arm, thinking of what to say next. "There was another thing that Blue said while she was here."

"What was it?"

"She said the baby is… like me: she's a wolf, too."

Ruby waited with baited breath to see what Viktor would say, but he just smiled.

"Well, when she turns for the first time, we'll just have to go out on lots of twilight walks, and if she turns as a toddler, we'll just have make sure we teach her not to bite us or scratch us."

Ruby was the one to laugh in disbelief this time. Everything she'd ever wanted was actually happening.

"Ruby?"

She looked straight into his eyes. "Hold me for a minute before you go."

Whale sat with his love and hugged her close, his own heart jumping when she hugged him back.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing, babe." She whispered, closing her eyes and resting her head on his shoulder. "I just love you so much, and I've never been this happy before. Thank you."


	6. Six

**Some of this chapter is a little dark, so I'm warning you now and apologizing here. That being said, here's a happy thing: the whole chapter isn't dark, and the song 'Anywhere' by Evanescence was the inspiration for this chapter as a whole because it's utterly beautiful, just like Mulan's bond with Aurora :)**

* * *

><p>Mulan was not at all a fan of the chocolate pudding that Aurora almost had to resort to force-feeding her, but the twins really liked it, so she managed to make it through a pudding cup-and-a-half before she finally reached limit.<p>

Her mind was wandering into a realm called fear, and Aurora noticed.

"Mulan, what is it?"

"I-I want to talk to you, but I'm worried."

Aurora cleared away the pudding cups and the spoon and sat with Mulan on the bed. "What about?"

"I don't want you to judge me, though."

"You can tell me anything because I care for you and about you too much to ever hurt you or judge you. Phillip would say and feel the same."

Mulan's heart almost came undone, just by those words alone, but she forced herself to stay in the game a little bit longer. "I'm sure that you've realized by now that I have a husband."

Aurora nodded. "Before the others all set out to look for you this morning, Mei mentioned him."

Mulan sighed as she thought of her daughter. "I'm glad she and Phillip are staying the night with David and Snow because I don't want them to see me cry."

"But crying is a _good_ thing, though."

Mulan rubbed at her eyes. "Rora, I can't even remember the last time someone I cared about—the way you and I care about each other—touched me so gently like you did just now."

"Did I make you feel uncomfortable?" Aurora asked worriedly.

"No, but just for a second, it made me remember how dirty something like a gentle touch _used_ to make me feel."

"Because your husband punished you?"

Mulan's eyes widened. "How did you know it was him?"

"Mei talks, and so does Will Scarlett."

Mulan put a hand over her heart. "Will is here? I never got to thank him for being so hospitable to me."

"We will catch up with him, but I need you to finish your story so you can get it off your chest."

"Of course." Mulan refocused her attention, grateful that Aurora was next to her. "Li banished me for joining the army and impersonating a soldier and I had no choice but to take the punishment because where I come from, I am not his equal because I am a woman. I also have the rank of princess because he's the son of our village king."

Aurora looked at her friend in awe. "You're a princess, too?"

"Yes, and so are my daughters, but I don't talk about because Li treats me like property, more than anything else, and after he caught me sneaking back into our palace to collect Mei and leave with her, he punished me for almost a month straight."

Sensing Mulan's fear, Aurora took her friend's hand in hers, her heart skipping a beat at how fast their fingers intertwined and at how natural it felt. As a means to show the other princess that there was really such a thing as positive touch, Aurora held Mulan's fingers to her lips and kissed them.

"Please tell me what happened to you." She said, pressing a few more kisses to her knuckles when she saw that she liked it. "I don't want to see your heart hurting."

"Li had heard tales of my expedition with you during my banishment, and he got jealous and possessive. He beat me to remind me that I'm his wife and that I shouldn't be having adventures with people he doesn't know."

"Then surely he must have heard that you were in Phillip's company before I woke up."

"Oh, he did, and it was everything I could do to stop him from going to find Phillip." Mulan shuddered. "I wish sometimes that I hadn't been pawned off on him to marry by parents, but then I wouldn't have had Mei or be carrying twins now, and my path would have most certainly not ever crossed with Phillip's and yours."

"Do you miss Phillip?"

"All the time, and I'm so sorry he's gone. Truly."

Feeling her daughters shift and stretch inside her, Mulan guided Aurora's hand to caress the spot since they'd responded so wonderfully to her before. Aurora carried out the touches as Mulan used both hands to wipe her hot tears.

"The 'lesson' that Li intended to strike into my head by beating me was that nobody would want someone as used and as filthy as me." she explained after a minute. "I miscarried twice when Mei was younger, and I almost died both times. Li has never _truly_ broken me, but it was after the miscarriages that he started tell me that he really started calling me bad names."

Aurora could hardly fathom the words coming out of Mulan's mouth and couldn't say anything just yet because words were truly failing her.

"Li is about ten years older than me, and one of the things he told me was that even if I wasn't dirty and used, I still wouldn't be wanted because I'm so young."

"How old _are_ you?" Aurora found herself asking.

"I was fourteen when I was forced forced to marry Li, and Mei was conceived and born in that same year. As of now, I'm eighteen."

Aurora felt her heart do jumping jacks; Mulan had always presented herself as enigmatic and mature, but she had never expected to fall in love with someone younger than both her and Phillip.

"You're older than me, aren't you?" Mulan inquired.

"Age is just a number, but yes." Aurora told her. "I'm twenty-three, and Phillip was thirty when he died. Neither of us cared about that, and he never made me feel inferior about it. May I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"When was the night your twins were conceived?"

"About two weeks after Li caught me, and it happened as means to make me tell him where I'd been intending to go with Mei. He raped me, Aurora, and it hurt so bad that I could hardly walk after. When I told him I was pregnant, he called the pregnancy an accidental by-product."

Aurora touched Mulan's face, wanting to make sure she was actaully there. "Your babies are blessings, and we can love them and teach them to be happy."

"That is all I want for them."

Aurora smiled and stroked Mulan's hair. "The place you would have gone with Mei—where would that have been?"

"Anywhere that you and your family would have been."

At this, the roles became reversed as Aurora cried and Mulan did the comforting.

"What is it?" Mulan wiped Aurora's tears and even kissed her cheek. "Please talk to me; I've already told you so much when I didn't think I'd be able to."

"The last thing Phillip said to me was to take the baby and find you because he felt that as long as we were with you, we'd be safe… and a family."

In that moment, Aurora decided something important as she guided Mulan's face to meet hers. "There is no other way to say it, so here it is: Mulan, I love you, and so did Phillip—we always felt someone was missing from our happily ever after, but we didn't know until you walked away that it was you. And had Phillip survived the ogre attack, we still would have done everything to rescue you and Mei, and find some place for _all_ of us to live peacefully."

Mulan was now the speechless one, but she could feel all of the faith and trust she'd been stripped of become restored as Aurora showered her in affection and reassurance. Never had she felt wanted or so treasured.

"You and Mei and your darling babies are my family now, and age doesn't matter, nor did anything Li ever told you that made you feel bad about yourself. You're strong and beautiful, and you know what?"

"What?"

_"I_ want you, and _I_ love you just as you are. Absolutely _nothing_ will _ever_ change that."

"Rora, what if Li finds you here and hurts you? I'm still his wife, and I wouldn't be able to bear it if you or our friends got hurt because of him."

"Then we will cross that bridge if we ever get to it. You're safe in Storybrooke, and we can start over. That's what matters most right now."

Aurora kissed Mulan on the crown of her head, and Mulan finally relaxed completely. She even cried softly, making the front of Aurora's dress wet from her tears. There wasn't enough words to describe the peace, love, and joy that Aurora was giving Mulan.

The brunette let Mulan change positions to get more comfortable, and when she settled, her big belly was pressed against Aurora's flat stomach, allowing her to easily feel the twins' kicks and stretches. It was with great restraint that Aurora kept her hands from wandering, so she just about melted when Mulan took her hand in hers and slipped it underneath her hospital gown and held it to her bare skin where the twins were moving the most; for Mulan, that was as intimate and as trusting as she could get at the moment.

Aurora kissed her again, touching her cheek to Mulan's black tresses as she spoke. "I love you forever and ever—that's a promise."

"I love _you_ forever and ever, too," Mulan leaned against Aurora, an ear to her chest because she wanted to hear her heartbeat. "And thank you."

"For what? Loving you? I've loved you in some way, shape, or form for as long as I've known you, even if it didn't seem like that at first."

Mulan blushed, remembering what things had been like during their first meeting. "Thank you for they, and for looking after Mei, and rescuing us from our nightmare. I can finally breathe."

"You are more than welcome, and if I had to, I would do it all again in a heartbeat."

Mulan let out a yawn but couldn't help it; the medicine in her system was making her very sleepy. At least she knew better than to fight it.

"Sleep." Aurora said when she saw her fading. "I'll be here when you wake, love."

Mulan smiled at the nickname. She liked it.

"What about Ruby? I still need to talk to her."

"I will find her after you've slept some."

"Promise?"

"Yes—she can't be far."

"Okay." Mulan's eyelids grew so heavy that she gave up on trying to keep them open. "I love you."

Words I'll never get tired of hearing, Aurora thought.

"I love you, too." Aurora gave Mulan one last kiss. "You rescued _me_ without realizing it, and I could never say thank you enough."

The two sat silent for a heartbeat, and then Aurora started to sing Mulan a lullaby.

That was the last thing Mulan heard as she fell into her first peaceful sleep in far too long.


	7. Seven

Mulan slept for almost two hours, after which—at Aurora's request—she had more pudding.

Not long after that, Doctor Whale came by for another check-up, and it was at the very end of this, just as he was about to leave the room, that Mulan spoke to him.

"Pardon me, Doctor Whale, but do you know the whereabouts of Ruby? We would very much like to see her before she turns and can't talk."

Whale seemed startled. "You know what she is?"

"I've known for quite awhile now. Is she near?"

"Yes. She's in the hospital here, actually, because she had a spill earlier and almost had a miscarriage."

Both of the mothers in the room were speechless and both put a hand on Mulan's bump, as if wanting to protect the babies. Noticing this, Whale hurried on.

"I promise you both: Ruby _didn't_ lose the baby because the Blue Fairy found her and used her strongest magic to keep the baby in good health and good condition until the nurses could get to her."

"So the baby is good now?" Aurora found herself asking. "Safe and sound."

"Yes, and so is Ruby, but she's on strict bed rest until sundown. She's allowed visitors, too, but—"

Whale stopped talking suddenly and checked his pager as it made noise.

"What is it?" Mulan inquired.

"An emergency just came in that requires my immediate attention."

"Then by all means, go!" Aurora ushered him.

"Besides," Mulan tacked on, gesturing towards the door. "Something tells me that we will be okay."

Blue had appeared in the doorway, having shown up with the intention of checking on Mulan, but she was extremely flexible.

"Go ahead and go." She told Whale as she entered the room. "I will care for the girls."

Whale thanked her and practically dashed out of the room. Blue greeted Aurora, but she noticed that Mulan was looking dumbstruck.

"You're the Blue Fairy?" the warrior princess asked.

"I am," nodded Blue. "And I know who _you_ are, Mulan, although I'm sure you have a name for me in your native tongue, don't you?"

"Lán jīnglíng," Mulan provided. "And when I was younger, my mother would tell me that seeing a fairy would mean good luck, but she never said anything about finding their leader…"

Quite amused, Blue decided to show Mulan some goodwill. "Because you have waited so long to see your first fairy, and I'm your first, I'll grant you one wish. Choose wisely."

Mulan thought for a moment: she already had all the love, joy, and peace with Aurora that she'd been longing for, and between the two of them, they had one son and three daughters.

What was left?

Oh!

"I wish that my babies and I could be healthy enough to go home with Aurora now."

Blue's wand materialized in her hand and she pointed it at Mulan's massive bump, whereupon a stream of dark blue magic streamed from the tip to Mulan's body, enveloping it for a second, filling her with happy feelings and warm thoughts as her body worked at rapid speed to repair itself and make her body stronger where it had been weaker. All of it had happened so fast, that Mulan felt felt better literally one second later.

Aurora kissed Mulan's cheek. "How do you feel?"

"Much better." Mulan say up and laughed when she felt her daughters kick and wiggle as she stretched. "Much, much better."

Aurora kissed Mulan's temple, just out of habit, and Mulan had to restrain herself as she remembered that this was neither the time nor the place to pin her love against the nearest wall, kiss her senseless, and go all the way with her, like she wanted to.

Instead, she looked up at Blue. "Thank you, so much!"

Blue smiled kindly at her. "You are quite welcome, child, and you should be fit to leave the hospital now, although I imagine you'll want to do so after you accomplish whatever it was that Doctor Whale was going to help you with."

"That is most certainly correct." Mulan confirmed. "We were going to go see Ruby before she turns into her true self."

"I was just with her a little while ago, so I can take you to her."

The girls were pleased by this, and because Mulan didn't have any real clothes or shoes, let alone any that fit her at the moment, Blue provided her with a new outfit and shoes that were suitable for the weather outside.

Mulan was thankful, although when Blue told her she had to sit in a wheelchair, she balked at the idea until Aurora whispered tantalizingly in her ear that she'd been planning to treat her to more than just kisses and cuddles later, but if she wasn't going to cooperate, she would revoke all of that and do… _other_ kinds of things… to _herself. _

Mulan stopped pouting immediately and let Aurora push her in the wheelchair.

* * *

><p>When they got to the Intensive Care Unit, Mulan saw that it was a single room, really, and that Ruby was in a glass cube sort of thing, separate, at the back. Blue led the way, and after checking on Ruby in a motherly way, she saw to it that Aurora and Mulan got situated, she left quietly.<p>

Her work here was done.

* * *

><p>Just like Mei had been the first time she saw Ruby in human form, her mother was fascinated by the werewolf, too.<p>

"May I sit with you?" Mulan asked, almost shyly.

"Of course." Ruby scooted over to make room for her on the bed. "I'm so glad to finally meet y—oh!"

Mulan was now on the bed with Ruby and hugging her close in a hug that was full of love and thankfulness. "Thank you, Ruby, for finding Mei, and brining her to Aurora for me."

When Ruby pulled away, she held Mulan's hand a little bit longer. "You're welcome, and Mei is a very lovely child."

Mulan beamed, as any mother would when they heard kind words about their child. "How did you find her? And spare no detail—I know that you're a wolf."

"Well, I was out for a nighttime stroll, and I smelled her before I saw her because what they say about animals being able to smell fear? One hundred percent true. I went looking for Mei, and when I found her, she was frightened and worn out, but when she saw me, all of that went away. I got her to ride on my back, and we made it all the way back to Aurora's room at the inn."

"Why do you suppose her feelings went away when she saw you?"

"Mei realized that I wasn't going to hurt her, so she decided to trust me."

"You have a very trustworthy face." Mulan said sincerely.

"You do." Aurora agreed from her spot on the rocking chair by the window.

Ruby blushed spectacularly at the compliment, so Mulan took advantage of that and added something else.

"Thank you again for finding Mei, but another thank you is in order keeping tabs on Aurora, too."

"Anything for Aurora's love."

Mulan was the one to blush this time, and Ruby chuckled.

"I know who you love, and you know what I am; we can call it square."

"I can agree with that."

"Good, because I really want to be friends with you." Ruby chirped. "I heard a lot about you, back in our land."

Mulan raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

"Oh, yes: you'd be surprised how far tales of your heroics travelled back home. If not for those tales, amongst other things, I wouldn't have decided to be br—oh, no. Sweetheart, did I say something wrong? I'm sorry!"

Mulan had gotten teary-eyed out of nowhere.

Aurora intervened, sitting with the two and gave Mulan a back rub as she did some clarifying for a confused Ruby. "It's nothing you said, Rubes; she's a little sensitive right now for obvious reasons, but she's also not used to to people—especially those who are older than her—saying nice things like that to her. Things were hard for her during her years in her palace."

Ruby nodded, more understanding now, and realizing that Mulan was probably not the kind to respond to pity from someone she'd just met, she held her hand.

"Hey," she cooed to her. "It's okay, Mulan. I will never hurt you, but if anyone ever does, I promise you that all you'll have to do is give the word, and the wolf will come running."

"Really?"

"Really," Ruby promised her. "And you know what I'm looking forward to?"

"What's that?"

"Our children being friends, too. My baby has a long way to go, but—huh… that's different…"

Mulan and Aurora were taken aback Ruby's random change in tracks, but before they could say anything, there was a sudden burst of light, and when it cleared, in Ruby's place was a coal-black wolf pup.

Aurora opened her mouth and promptly shut it again, confused, but Mulan quickly scooped Ruby up in her arms and wrapped her in a blanket when she saw her shivering.

"It's okay, Ruby." Mulan told her in a calming tone, running her fingers through her fur. "I've got you now, I've got you."

Apparently, reassuring words were all Ruby needed to hear because she relaxed and even curled up on top of Mulan's bump, entertained by the feeling of the babies wiggling, turning, kicking, and stretching underneath her.

Mulan leaned back on her hands and watched Ruby, just breathing. After a moment, Ruby let out a yawn, but since she was a puppy, it came out high-pitched and cute. She even curled up tighter and fell asleep, snoring lightly.

"Did that just happen?" Aurora finally asked. "What about her baby?"

Tentatively—because she didn't want to wake Ruby up—Mulan examined the wolf's middle with two fingertips, but she wasn't feeling anything.

"She's full-on wolf right now," Mulan resumed leaning back on her hands again. "But it isn't sundown for another hour yet."

"Odd…"

Mulan looked back at Ruby again, enthralled by the sight. When she was a child, her parents' dog—a Shar Pei by the name of Mushu—was her constant companion and slept in her bed every night. Having Ruby with her like this was bringing back memories. Actual fond ones.

"Rora, can we keep her?"

"Sorry, but no."

Mulan actually pouted. "Why?"

"Because Granny or Doctor Whale would be the best to care for her, seeing as they have the most experience with wolves, and besides," Aurora leaned over and peppered a few kisses on Mulan's neck and jaw, quite turned on by the fact that even though the blinds were drawn and the door was shut, anyone could walk in on them at any moment. "I was thinking that after I show you around and we get some dinner, we can go back to my room at the inn, which is completely empty, and… you get the rest…"

"Yes, yes, I do." Mulan sighed lustily as Aurora got in another kiss on the other princess' neck, even using her tongue. "Go find someone to collect Ruby."

Aurora gave her one last kiss, on the nose this time. "I'll be back soon, love."

When Aurora left, Mulan looked down at the puppy atop her belly. "You're a sleepy baby, aren't you?"

Ruby yawned, burrowing into the blanket she was wrapped in. Feeling the babies and the rising and falling of Mulan's very swollen middle was very pleasing, so she even snuggled closer to her friend.

"You promised me," Mulan said softly, stroking Ruby more. "That you'd come to my rescue if ever I need it, but I promise you that if you ever get sad or lost in the middle of the night, our door is always open."

Ruby yawned again and nuzzled up against Mulan's hand in her sleep.

"We'll be good friends, you and me. I'm glad our paths have crossed at last." Mulan resumed petting Ruby; the softness of her fur was mesmerizing. "The best is yet to come."


	8. Eight

Granny came to collect Ruby, and once that had been situated, Aurora and Mulan left the hospital together. Aurora happily showed Mulan around Storybrooke, and when she pointed out the library to her, Mulan became incredibly happy.

"A library means _books, _Rora! It's been so long since I've had even one of my own!"

Aurora frowned slightly at this. "What do you mean?"

"My father thought it wasn't proper for women to 'fill their heads with nonsense,' and when he found the stash of books that my mother, my grandmother, and I had, he burned them on a bonfire and made us watch. Li wouldn't let me have books at all."

Aurora held the door open for her. "Belle and I can help you get a library card and some books to borrow."

"Belle runs the library?" Mulan asked as Aurora joined her.

"Yes." Aurora looked around. "She's in here, somewhere. Come on."

Aurora and Mulan found Belle in the fiction section, shelving books, and she was genuinely surprised to see them.

"Wow, Mulan—I didn't think you'd be out of the hospital already!" Belle remarked as she hugged her friend. "How did you manage?"

"Let's just say that the Blue Fairy is a family friend now."

Belle nodded understandingly; the old fairy looked out for her, too. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes, actually." Mulan chirped. "It's been quite awhile since I've had a book to read. What do you recommend?"

"What do you like?"

"Anything, really."

Aurora could practically see the wheels begin to spin in Belle's head as she thought of possibilities for the teenager.

"Come follow me." Belle beckoned. "I have exactly what you'll like."

Belle brought Mulan to the young adult section of the fiction area in the room filled with children's books and pointed out some of her favorite titles before encouraging her to do some exploring on her own.

"She seems like a completely different person than from when I first her." Belle remarked in undertone to Aurora as they stood to the side, watching Mulan move about the whole room, curious about it. "What happened?"

"She's healing from some very traumatic events from her past, mostly before she met us." Aurora chose her words carefully. "Right now, though, Mulan is free, and that is all she's ever wanted."

"Storybrooke really _is_ a place of renewal; I'm proof, but that's another story." Belle mused. "Take care of her, Aurora. Treasure her."

"Oh, I plan to." Aurora answered without missing a beat. "I could never do her any wrong."

"She is your heart, isn't she?"

"Forever—I can't imagine the rest of my life without her or the little family we've built."

* * *

><p>After they finished their business at the library, and Mulan proudly carried a stack of new books, Aurora took her to the diner for a meal, and once they finished that Aurora showed Mulan to her bedroom at the inn.<p>

"This is where Phillip and I live," Aurora said as she shut the door behind her and sat on the bed. "And Ruby's room is next door."

Mulan set her books on the table beside the door, and the first thing she noticed was Phillip's crib next to the bookshelf. She walked over to it and ran a hand over the carvings in the dark cherry oak. The craftsmanship of the whole structure was remarkable, so whoever made it had to be an expert builder.

"Do you like it?" Aurora asked. "My friend Marco made it for Phillip, and it's designed so that when he gets bigger, it can turn into a proper child-sized bed."

Mulan sat beside her love, lost in thought for a moment. "That's very clever…"

Aurora could see that something was amiss with Mulan, so she guided her face towards hers. "Talk to me. What's bothering you?"

"It's not so much of a bother as it is a bad memory. When I was little, I had a good life and a beautiful house, but then to make a long story short, about two years before my parents literally sold me to Li's family, we moved to this miserable shack that was complete with dirt floors and a leaky roof. My horse had a stable next to the shack, and even that was better at certain times."

Mulan shuddered.

"By the time that Mei came along, I lived in splendor, but Li had so many rules and restrictions because he couldn't stand the sight of her or me. Li wouldn't even let Mei have a proper cradle or bed."

"That is awful," Aurora held Mulan's hand in hers and kissed it, a tactic that really seemed to work. "But remember—that's all over, and I'm going to do everything I can to make up for all of that mistreatment. Tomorrow, we'll go get everything we need for when the babies come. We'll get things for Mei, too."

Mulan furrowed her eyebrows. "But where where will she and Phillip sleep when the babies come?"

"Details, details." Aurora waved a hand in dismissal. "We will work on it tomorrow, and for now, we're just going to focus on the things that are right in front of us."

Aurora kissed Mulan on the cheek and, feeling daring, she worked her way down the base of her neck. Mulan shuddered in delight and tilted her neck to the side to let Aurora have better access.

"I love when you touch me like this. I really, really do."

Aurora had a feeling the only times Mulan had been touched in such a way as this was probably when she and Li had been working on extending their family. Phillip, on the other hand, had shown Aurora that while sex could be used for procreation, it could also be used as a way of connectivity and also a way to show love.

"I am quite glad." Aurora put a hand on Mulan's right leg, just above her knee. "Do you want to keep going?"

"Yes, please. Just be gentle."

"Of course. Now just relax, alright?" Aurora took Mulan in her arms and laid her against the headboard, taking extra care to prop her up with pillows. "I want you to enjoy this."

"Alright…"

Mulan's words ended in a lusty sigh of contentment because once more, Aurora was working her magic with her tongue, but in more sensitive places than the mouth. The bliss only lasted for a few minutes because even though both of them were more than a little bit horny now, Mulan was getting giggly.

"What in the world are you laughing at?" Aurora pouted, pulling away.

"I'm sorry." Mulan sat up and took her shirt off before framing her big middle with her hands. "It's just that the babies are awake all of a sudden. Feel this."

She took Aurora's hands in hers and placed on her bump, where their daughters were indeed awake and moving around. The bottom twin had her back to them and was lying diagonally, but every time her mothers ran their hands over her back, she arched it and kicked more. The top twin, however, found Aurora's hand and pushed back with her own.

"Hello, my darlings." Aurora leaned down and kissed the bump gently. "I'm quite delighted that you two are so happy right now, but we will play with you in a little while because we just need some time to ourselves right now."

So in love with the babies growing in Mulan's womb, Aurora continued to kiss them and whisper to them until they were completely calm again.

Mulan propped herself up on her elbows to look at Aurora in disbelief. "How _do_ you _do_ that?"

"Because I have a way with children." Aurora bragged cheekily. "Now may I continue?"

"Continue with wh—oh…"

In a rather bold move, Aurora had kissed her way down from the bump and was now kissing Mulan's thighs, hiking up her skirt and working her way upward as she went.

Pausing, Aurora looked back up at Mulan. "Do you like that?"

"Yes, I do." Mulan leaned back on the pillows in submission. "I am all yours."

* * *

><p>By the time the two princesses had finished their lovemaking—during which Mulan became bold enough to pleasure Aurora—both were naked, hot and sated, facing each other on the bed as they laid wrapped in the sheets together while they recovered from what had just happened.<p>

"What did I do to be so lucky to have you in my life?" Mulan asked, tracing shapes on Aurora's hip. "I love you, Aurora. So much."

"There are some things I just don't question anymore—like all of the love I have towards you, or how that I know that in time, Phillip will come to think of you as his mother, too." Aurora put a hand on Mulan's heart. "The one thing that I've come to _accept_ since I saw you in the hospital today is that everything happens for a reason, even if it's not apparent the moment it happens, is that you are here with me and that we love each other. I lost you before, and I don't want to make that mistake again. _I_ am the lucky one."

Those words made Mulan weep with joy.


	9. Nine

**Writer's block sucks, but I promise I haven't forgotten about this!**

* * *

><p>As the two princesses continued to enjoy each other in their bedroom, both of the twins woke up and kicked around. Mulan was not too thrilled because she would have preferred to breathe without feeling winded, so in order to make Mulan feel better, Aurora covered her body in kisses, taking extra time on the bump.<p>

After a few minutes of talking to the twins and telling them how dearly she loved them, Aurora propped herself up on her elbow and traced shapes over the bump with her free hand.

"Mulan," she said after a minute. "How did Mei get her name? What does it mean?"

Mulan smiled. "Mei means beautiful, and I gave her the name because even after twelve hours of labor, she was the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen… she's also the first of my naturally-conceived children to live past birth."

"What a lovely story." Aurora smiled when the bottom twin pressed her little heel against her hand. "Aurora means beautiful, too."

Mulan wrapped herself in one of the sheets and sat up against the headboard to get a better look at her girlfriend, but left the bump free, knowing—and kind of loving—that Aurora couldn't keep her hands off it.

"Why the sudden interest in our names?" Mulan asked. "Thinking about name ideas for our daughters?"

Aurora nodded. "Yes. What's the meaning of your name?"

"Flower orchid."

"That's really beautiful."

Mulan sighed sadly. "Back in my palace, I had a nursery where I cultivated heaps of orchids and roses. Mei and I would spend hours in there, keeping each other company while we tended to the plants and imagined a better future."

Aurora sat up and wrapped a blanket around herself, too. "You know, part of my mother's name was Rose."

Mulan arched an eyebrow in interest. "Oh, really? What was her full name?"

"Princess Briar Rose, and if our paths would have crossed when Mei was younger, or when you were pregnant with her, mother would've taken you two in as wards of the court without thinking twice because she wielded more power than my father did in that area. She would have loved you and Mei both and saw to it that you were both cared for and properly educated."

Mulan's heart suddenly filled up with sadness of how she'd missed the chance to meet Aurora's mother by just a small margin.

"Rora," she said softly. "Can we name one of our daughters Rose? After your mother?"

Aurora's heart filled up with even more love for Mulan than was already there. "You would do that? You would name one of our children after someone you've never even met before?"

"Well, I know you, and you are also as kind as she sounds… the way I see it, that's a perfect reason to name one our daughters after your mother."

"Alright," Mulan actually smiled when she felt a kick from the top twin. "So if we have Rose, then her twin also needs a flower name."

"Yes, but nothing ridiculous like chrysanthemum or amaryllis."

"And since Rose, Mei, and Phillip are all easy to spell, this one can't be left out of that rule, too." Mulan added quickly.

"That's fair enough."

And so the two tossed ideas back and forth for awhile until Aurora thought of the perfect name.

"Daisy."

Mulan gave an approving nod immediately. "I love it."

Aurora grinned. "Phillip is already trying to figure out how to talk, so I wouldn't be surprised if any of the girls' names are his first word, but do you think Mei is going to like the names?"

"Oh absolutely—she loves flowers. Having sisters called Rose and Daisy will positively tickle her."

"Good." Aurora pecked Mulan on the cheek. "How are you feeling now?"

"Sleepy, but the sun has yet to go down."

"Don't worry about it." Aurora got under the covers and beckoned for Mulan to join her. "It's perfectly okay. Come here."

Mulan happily cuddled up to Aurora, sinking closer when she wrapped an arm around her waist. "Sleep, my love. I'll be right beside you."

"Thank you…"

The words were barely out of Mualn's mouth when she just succumbed to her tiredness and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Mulan finally felt like she could socialize with the rest of the town citizens and it was with renewed energy that she and Aurora headed to David and Snow's place to collect Mei and Phillip.<p>

"Mulan, Aurora!" Snow chirped as she let her friends into her home and invited them in to sit down. "We were just about to have breakfast; will you join us for pancakes and bacon?"

"Sure." Mulan answered, wondering what pancakes were. "Are Mei and Phillip awake yet?"

Snow nodded, closing the door behind them and joining them at the dining table. "David and Emma went upstairs to wake them, Neal, and Henry."

Mulan furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "I heard that Henry's father is gone—and my deepest sympathies—but who is the other Neal?"

"He's mine and Charming's baby boy."

Mulan instantly lit up. "You have a son and Emma has a brother now? How very wonderful!"

Snow beamed, but before she could say anything, Mei came hurrying down the stairs and made a beeline for Aurora's lap.

"Hi, mama!" She hugged her around the middle and kissed her on the cheek, repeating the same action with Mulan. "Hi, mama!"

Both mothers greeted Mei, and she leaned over from Aurora's lap and kissed Rose and Daisy hello, the twins kicked happily in response.

At that moment, David and Emma showed up with the rest of the kids, and Phillip squealed in delight when he saw his family. He grew even more vocal and giggly when David deposited him into Aurora's arms and his mothers and sister gave him hugs and kisses. To all the world, the four of them looked like a happy, normal family that hadn't been in dire straights only twelve hours prior.

On the other side of the table, Emma looked to her parents. "Have you ever seen Mulan or Aurora so happy before?"

David and Snow shook their heads.

"No." said she.

"Neither have I," said he. "But it's beautiful."

And it was.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, past the area where Mulan had been found, none other than Li was lurking in the woods, hidden just out of sight of the footpath.<p>

He had yet to figured out how that mysterious purple cloud had come from, and what land it had taken him to, but he knew for sure that Mulan was here because he'd seen her.

And she was still his wife.

He'd get her back, one way or another.


End file.
